American actor Mickey Rourke, who boxed for several years while in the
Hollywood wilderness, will be ringside on Saturday night in Hamburg and has
advised David Haye “to go out on top” with his money safe.

Firm friends: Mickey Rourke and David Haye have struck up a friendship and the actor has warned Haye that he should quit boxing 'at the top'Photo: REX FEATURES

Haye and Rourke’s close friendship over the past year enabled the British fighter’s conditioning coach, Ruben Tabares, to assist the American actor as he prepared for a part portraying the life of gay rugby player Gareth Thomas.

Rourke was nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Wrestler, playing the role of ‘the Ram’, an ageing star who cannot give up the lights, the performance and the fame until it is too late and his body cannot cope, long after his wife and daughter have deserted him. “The Wrestler is my favourite movie,” Haye revealed to Rourke when they first met.

A Haye camp insider told Telegraph Sport there had been discussions two months ago about the American carrying Haye’s World Boxing Association heavyweight belt into the ring at Hamburg FC’s Imtech Arena on Saturday, but the arrangements could not be made.

Rourke, an admirer of Haye’s bravery and belligerence, had some salutary advice for the younger man, currently bathing in the spotlight of success, when they spent time together in London.

Rourke has seen the lights come and go. He boxed as an amateur (28 wins, two defeats) and then in 1990, having fallen out of favour in Hollywood, took up boxing professionally. He was unbeaten in 14 fights over six years and trained under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym, but said that he “didn’t get to fight everybody”, an admission that he was a level – or even two – below ever reaching championship class.

During that period Rourke was, incidentally, a sparring partner for James Toney and Thomas Hearns, and suffered a broken cheekbone from one, and a knockout by the other. He even sparred with Roberto Duran.

One day Rourke felt ill and had a brain scan, which showed some abnormalities, so decided to call it a day. He believes “Haye has been wise” to name the date that he will retire by: October 13.

“My greatest piece of advice [for David] is this — save your ------- money. Success in boxing depends a lot on your lifestyle and your intelligence, and I think that unfortunately most fighters end up with money trouble at the end of it all. A lot of these guys don’t come from money in the first place, so they really don’t know how to deal with it,” Rourke said.

“They also have to contend with big entourages and people trying to take stuff from them. They’ll employ some guy to go and get them candy bars during the day. It’s nonsense. I remember going to see Roberto Duran and he would always have 12 guys with him. I never had a clue what any of them were doing.”

“That entourage goes from 12 to two when you are broke, and I know about that firsthand. All my friends left when I went broke and I don’t think that I have heard from any of them for 14 years.”